Of Rats and Riddles
by Creighton Cross
Summary: "I read the Muggle newspapers, unlike most of my Ministry friends."-Dumbledore(GoF) Dumbledore visits a village to buy a Muggle newspaper, and discovers the disappearance of Frank Bryce from Little Hangleton. He decides to investigate. AU!


And there was a third disappearance, one which the Ministry, I re gret to say, do not consider of any importance, for it concerns a Muggle. His name was Frank Bryce, he lived in the village where Voldemort's father grew up, and he has not been seen since last August. You see, I read the Muggle newspapers, unlike most of my Ministry friends." – Dumbledore (GoF)

**Chapter 1 –Hunted & Found**

Albus Dumbledore Apparated to the village of Elling. Once a month, he would go into a Muggle area, usually a village and buy a newspaper, as he enjoyed reading about the crimes that would happen around the Muggle world.

Dumbledore kept walking, not bothering about the people who turned to look at his bizarre appearance. He wasn't wearing anything concerned with Muggles, wearing his typical purple robes, his beard untamed and still as long as Merlin's itself.

He had always got a Muggle newspaper from this village. When the investigation into the Riddle murders took place just a little over fifty years ago took place, Dumbledore had discovered the nearby village of Elling, and had quickly become enchanted with it. There was a nice quiet feel to the place.

He took a left suddenly, and found himself in Austen Road. He went into Alcor Shop, where he always got the newspaper. He got on well with the owner of the shop, a Muggle who wouldn't ask him about his appearance, and believed him to be some sort of Scientist.

"Ah, Albus," welcomed Keith Alcor, the owner. "How are you today?"

"Quite good, Keith," Albus said back. "Just looking for the newspaper. I enjoy reading about the recent mysteries of the world."

Keith chuckled. The old man always said that when he came into the shop. "I have a mystery for you." He told him.

Dumbledore turned to the man. "Do tell me," he said his eyes twinkling.

"It's in the papers anyway, but okay," Keith told him. "You know the nearby village, Little Hangleton."

Dumbledore's attention went up. Anything mysterious to do with Little Hangleton had something to do with Lord Voldemort.

"Fifty one years ago, back in 1943, not long before the summer. There were three murders. The Riddle family in Little Hangleton were found by the maid."

He stopped as Dumbledore put up his hand. "I have heard about their deaths. Seems to be one of the most curious murders I have ever heard of."

"Okay, I'll just jump ahead," Keith said. "The house they lived in was said to be haunted over the years, as none of the next few owners really stayed on. The man currently owning the house doesn't live in it. It's too dangerous to live in it anyway. It's completely falling apart."

"Recently, there has been a strange occurrence there. The gardener there, the one believed to have murdered the Riddle's years ago, has disappeared. The house was once again investigated and they found nothing. And they still don't know where Frank Bryce is."

Dumbledore spoke. "What newspaper is it in?"

"It's not in the major newspapers anymore, but is in The Hangleton Post newspaper."

Dumbledore picked up The Hangleton Post, brought it up to the counter and paid for it.

"Thank you, Keith," he said and swept from the shop, reading the newspaper as he walked.

Something clicked in his mind. Sirius had written to him, telling him Harry's scar had become painful for him on the night of August 16th. According to the newspaper, that was the last day Frank Bryce had been seen. Piecing the two together, he concluded that Voldemort killed him at night, and is probably staying in the manor. He decided to search the place himself.

Dumbledore Apparated to Little Hangleton, deciding the best place to apparate was the Graveyard, he appeared in front of a grave that was hidden from the house. He turned around to look at the graves. He noticed the graves of the Riddle's nearby. He went over to it, looking at the Angel of Death statue that had been erected next to the grave. He noticed the ground had been disturbed recently. There was in particular an unusual mark on the ground at the grave. Suddenly he noticed something else. Rat droppings. That put Dumbledore on alert. The droppings told him that Peter Pettigrew was here too. He quickly and effectively cast a Disillusionment charm on himself, and walked briskly to the manor.

He looked through the gates of the manor, casting a silent charm that would tell him if Voldemort had placed wards on the manor to prevent him or anyone else from getting in. There were no wards whatsoever on the manor. Dumbledore believed this to mean that Voldemort had changed his location to somewhere else.

He Apparated on to the other side of the gate, still wearing the Disillusionment Charm. He walked over to the cottage that he believed was Frank Bryce's. He unlocked the door with the Unlocking Charm and took a look around. The kettle was still on the furnace of the Cooker, the flame long since dead. Everything was neat and in order in the small house. Dumbledore left the cottage and quickly walked up to the manor, extinguishing any evidence that he had left on the ground indicating that he was here.

He went up to the door and quietly announced the Unlocking Spell. He opened the door, the creaking of the door echoed through the manor hall.

Dumbledore climbed the stairs, under cover of the darkness from within the manor. He approached the Drawing Room under silence. He could sense something amiss here.

Once again he made sure that he couldn't be seen, checking the broken mirror that lay on the floor smashed. As quietly as possible, he slipped into the room. It was completely vacant. No sign of life at all. Dumbledore knew this was the room that the Riddles were found in dead over half a century ago.

"Novus Aliquis Revelare," Dumbledore incanted. His wand sent a red colour out from the tip. This was a confirmation that a murder had taken place here recently. Voldemort had forgotten to clean up that bit. There was also a little ash left over in the fire nearby. A fire hadn't been lit here in over thirty years, so this was definitely recent, Dumbledore realised.

But the question now forming in Albus" mind, where was Voldemort?

He thought about Voldemort's history, the Orphanage, burnt down in what Muggles called an Arson attack. Dumbledore knew it was Tom, avenging himself against the Muggles he was raised with. The Riddle's, he'd been here and left. If he was weak, he can't have gone far.

Then it occurred to him. Could it possibly be still standing, after all these years? He must be hidden there. He must have known the house would be investigated once Frank Bryce disappeared by Muggle authorities. He didn't anticipate Dumbledore showing up. He'd never expected him to find out anything about him or to know his past.

Dumbledore realised the Disillusionment Charm had weared off. He performed the charm on himself again, and apparated to the graveyard. Once there, he took off in the direction of the Gaunt Shack, passing the Riddle's grave as he passed it. He heard the stories about them, learned they weren't liked by the villagers. He took a moment to admire the work on the grave. He enjoyed the company of the large statue of Death, even though it was incredibly eerie in this graveyard at this hour. The sun had now gone and was replaced by a moon hidden behind the clouds. The graveyard looked unwelcome and spooky but Dumbledore did not care. He enjoyed spending time in graveyards at night. It made him embrace Death even more. He held tightly on to the statue's scythe for a brief moment, lamenting his loss of his family.

He let go and continued among the dark and eerie path to the Gaunt Shack. Large overgrown trees blocked the moonlight and the clouds as he walked on; being careful of any enchantments Voldemort had set up.

Eventually he came to the shack, still invisible. He noticed a rat on what remained of the windowsill. Seeing his front paw had a missing toe, he recognised immediately who it was. He had wards surrounding his office back at Hogwarts, which prevented Death Eaters -or anyone associated with the Death Eaters- from escaping. Quickly and silently he cast a spell "Carcere Parma," and the rat disappeared, instantly sent to his office. The rat wasn't going to escape this time. Dumbledore approached the door and opened it silently. He saw a small bed inside this room. A figure of a child sleeping on it. But Dumbledore knew this wasn't a child. He noticed a wand sitting on a desk. A wand that had a Phoenix feather. This is him. Dumbledore knew he didn't have time before he figured out something was wrong. He ran directly in. The figure raised its head at the noise but Dumbledore was ready.

"Stupefy," roared Dumbledore. The figure went limp. Dumbledore vanquished him to his office too.

Cornelius Fudge wasn't having a good day, his wife had refused him breakfast, telling him to quit being ignorant of the obvious. Bertha Jorkins disappearance was beginning to weigh in on his mind. What had happened to her? They had found out that she was last seen at a bar named Jeta Fund just on the outskirts of the largest forest in Albania. Dumbledore was telling him that You-Know-Who is the reason to her being missing, but he wouldn't listen to him. But the more Cornelius thought about it, the more likely it sounded.

He was brought out of his thought when Fawkes just flashed into the room with a note from Dumbledore. He unfolded it to read "I have found someone I think you need to meet. Take a hold of Fawkes and he will take you to my office."

Fudge looked at the phoenix. Carefully he put his hand forward on to the phoenix's feather. Instantly he surged several miles away, and found himself in Dumbledore's office.

"What is the meaning of this Albus?" he flustered.

Instead of giving the minister a response, Dumbledore led him to a trunk and unlocked it.

"Look in, Cornelius," he told the man.

Minister Fudge looked in the trunk. He jumped back, horrified what he had seen.

"What is that Dumbledore?" he breathed out.

"That, Cornelius," he said, eyes twinkling. "Is Lord Voldemort."

**Chapter 2 – Of Rats and Wizards**

Fudge instantly believed Dumbledore. No one had lived to know what he had now looked like, no one except Dumbledore, Fudge realised. But he had a sense this wasn't the only discovery.

"You have someone else too?" Fudge asked him.

Dumbledore smiled. "I certainly do," he said pulling a rat out of thin air. He pointed his wand at the animal and said a few words. The rat disappeared, now replaced with a balding man, small and dirty, with a missing finger. Fudge recognised him.

"Peter Pettigrew," he exclaimed, completely stunned to see his appearance.

"Peter is guilty, Cornelius," Dumbledore said sadly, the twinkle now gone. He told the Minister the story from a few months ago.

Sirius Black watched Buckbeak hunt for food. The creature loved to eat ferrets and could easily find them.

While watching the creature Dumbledore Apparated beside him, alongside Cornelius Fudge.

"Sirius Black," the Minister said holding out his hand. "I apologise for the injustice. We – well Dumbledore – has caught Peter Pettigrew and You-Know-Who. There is going to be a long trial but I need to exonerate you first. So can you please come with me?"

Sirius looked at Dumbledore, who gave him a nod to say he won't be imprisoned.

Sirius and the Minister Apparated off to the Ministry.

**Daily Prophet**

_**You-Know-Who Imprisoned**_

_Peter Pettigrew Found Alive_

_**Sirius Black's Guilt Exonerated**_

_You-Know-Who's Last Attempt to Take Over_

_**Death Eaters Believed Innocent Proven Guilty**_

Those were some of the many articles that had appeared in the Daily Prophet recently.

Harry was delighted that Sirius had been exonerated by the Ministry.

Although Dumbledore disapproved of it, Harry was moved out of Privet Drive and into Sirius' House. Sirius, as Harry's Magical Guardian put up enchantments to protect Harry anyway, with the reluctant help of Dumbledore. The Dursley's treatment of Harry was the only reason Dumbledore agreed to this.

Peter Pettigrew and Lord Voldemort were given the Dementor's Kiss. Dumbledore, knowing his Horcrux's were out there, went out and destroyed each one. Top Healer Columbine Wellenger, who worked in Voodoo Magic, performed a ritual with Dumbledore on Harry which had eventually destroyed the Horcrux without harming Harry.

Shortly after Dumbledore destroyed the last remaining Horcrux, a huge thunderstorm had caused Lord Voldemort's well-guarded cell to be destroyed, sending his body into the ocean. His dead remains were discovered at a beach a week later, scaring the local Muggles with the mutilated appearance.

Dumbledore remained at Hogwarts, not dying from Snape's hand ever.

All Was Well.

**Let me know if you see any mistakes. Please R&R.**


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